Ice-making plant.



No. 653,666. Patented July I7, I900. A ELLIS.

ICE MAKING PLANT.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 653,666. Patented .luly I7, moo. A. ELLIS.

ICE MAKING PLANT.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheei 2.

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ABRAM ELLIS, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

ICE-MAKING PLANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,666, dated July1'7, 1900.

Application filed January 18, 1900. Serial Nol,830. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAM ELLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Making Plants,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an ice-making plant.

The object of the invention is the production of a plant for ice-makingin which fuel shall be economized to a degree hitherto unknown by theuse of a low-pressure or condensing steam apparatus in connection withautomatic circulation. Said improvement provides for the directutilization of what would otherwise be waste heat in the expansion andcirculation of ammoniacal vapors. Certain improved details ofconstruction are also herein included.

Figure 1 is a perspective indicating the general arrangement of the maincomponent parts of the apparatus or plan t. This arrangement is variableaccording to circumstances. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of theammonia expander or vaporizer. Fig. 3 is a steam-condenser andammonia-concentrator.

The numeral 1 denotes a steam-boiler, of any usual construction,provided with any usual furnace, as 99, and having a heat-flue 2,leading directly to stack 3, and also heatfiue 4 4, leading to the stackafter passing through the lines of an ammonia-expander 5. Suitablevalves, as 6 7, direct the products of combustion after passing throughthe steamboiler to the stack, so that the ammonia-expander may be heatedby waste heat from the furnace after passing through the boiler, or notheated at all, as may be desirable; but in any case there is norequirement of the use of live steam from the boiler to expand orvaporize the ammonia. The steam-pipe 10 leads from the boiler 1 andsupplies steam to the boiler feed-pump 11, from which the steam-exhaustpasses by pipe 12 to the condenser 30. Pipe 13, connected to pipe 10,drives the ammonia-pump 14, such being preferably a duplex or compoundpump, and the steam -exhaust passes to the condenser by pipes 15 16.Branch 17 from steam-pipe 10 supplies the water-circulating pump 18,from which the steam-exhaust passes by pipe 19 to the condenser 30.Branch pipe 21 leads from pipe 10 to the con den sed-Water force-pump22, from which pump the exhaust-pipe 23 leads to a condenser 30.

It mustnot be understood that the particular arrangement of pumps,pipes, or steam circulation is considered important. The

fact that all the pumps exhaust to a steamcondenser, so that the-pumpsdo not have to work against atmospheric pressure is, however, important,also the fact that all the exhaust is condensed and is then used, as distilled water for the production of ice is important.

Having traced the steam circulation to the condenser I will now tracethe ammonia circulation.

Beginning at the ammonia expander or vaporizer 5 the liquid or low-gradeaqua-ammonia (say,sixteen-per-cent.ammonia) passes under pressureproduced by heat and vaporization by pipe 90 through the body of theheater and exchanger 41, in which heat-er there is a water-circulatingcoil. The lowgrade ammonia loses part of its heat, which is desirable,and the feed-water gains heat, which is also desirable. The heater 41 isnot new in construction, being shown in my Patent No. 552,991, ofJanuary 14,1896; From heater 41 the low-grade liquid ammonia passes bypipe 42 to the coils 43 44, where this ammonia liquid is cooled by theapplication of water to the coils, as usual. From these coils thelow-grade liquid ammonia passes by pipe 45 to the absorber 46. The flowof liquid in the ammonia-pipes is controlled by suitable cocks or valvesto secure uniformity of circulation. Vaporized ammonia or highgradeammonia or ammoniacal gas passes from the expander 5 by pipe 47 to thecoils 48 49 50, more or less in number, and the heat of said vapor isabsorbed by a flow of water over the coils, as usual, so that at the endof these coils the rich ammonia becomes a liquid ready to expand whenrelieved of pressure. This liquid passes by pipe 51 to theammonia-exhaust collector, which is a large pipe 52 alongside theice-tank 33. The pipe 51 has a return-bend and returns through pipe 52,the object being to further cool the liquid ammonia in pipe 51 beforepassing it to the expansion-coils in tank 33. After this cooling passagethrough cooling-pipe 52 the ammonia-pipe 51 branches into a large numberof coils in the ice-tank. Such coils are indicated at-53 and may be verynumerous, as common. The exhaust from the tank-coils 53 escapes by pipe52, having now expanded to gaseous form and performed the usualrefrigerating function of such expanded gas in the ice-tank. From pipe52 the cold-expanded ammonia-gas passes by coiled pipe 55 through thedistilled-water tank 54;. From tank 54: the ammonia-pipe 55 continues tothe absorber 46, into which absorber it enters, preferably, by a jet ormingler to again commingle with the low-grade liquid from pipe 45. Fromabsorber 46 the reunited ammonia is drawn by pump 14 through pipe 57 anddriven in pipe 58 through a coil in the body ,of the heater andexchanger 41, whence by pipe 60 the reunited liquid ammonia oraquaammonia passes to the rectifier 97 above and connected with expander5. The feed-water pump 11 receives its supply from any suit able source,and its feed-pipe 39 leads through heater 41, and so to the boiler, asin my patent referred to. The water-circulating or cooling pump 18receives its water-supply from any suitable source and propels itthrough pipe 63 to the manifold 64, where the water-pipe branches to anumber of small pipes, which form cells inside the absorber 46, wherethe ammonia is cooled, and then passes by a number of pipes 66 tosprinklers or sprayer-s 67 over the ammonia-coils. A pan 70 catches thedrip, which flows by pipe 71 to the condenser 30. From the condenserthis water goes to waste, as at 72, having per formed the usual coolingoperation on the steam in the condenser. One branch of the water pipefrom the manifold 64 passes through the absorber 4.6 and thence by pipe73 to and through the distilled-water tank 54 in a suitable coil and soto the condenser and to waste, acting to cool the distilled water. Thedistilled water from hot-well of condenser 30 is drawn by pump 22 andforced through pipe 81 to the distilled-water tank 54. From this tankthe condensed water passes through filter 82 and so by pipe 83 to anysuitable and usual arrangement of molds in the ice-tank 33. Theice-supply is thus made from condensed steam, by which the pumps aredriven, and the distilled water so produced is adapted for theproduction of the purest ice.

As has been explained, it is not proposed that the precise arrangementof pipes, pumps, &c., need be followed further than conveniencedictates. The general principles as applied to one plant are hereinexplained. In

know no plant as now constructed works on the low-pressure principle toutilize the entire exhaust from the circulating-pumps for the productionof distilled Water for ice production, and no plant applies the directwaste heat to the expansion of the volatile liquid.

From long experience in the construction and operation of ice-makingmachines I am able to prove that by the adoption of the general plan ofconstruction above set forthI can efiect a saving of fuel of from thirtyto seventy per cent. over the best plant known to me and without anyincreased expenditure in any other direction or for any other purpose.

W'hat I claim is 1. In an ice-making plant, the combination of asteam-boiler provided with usual furnace and heat-flue, an ammoniaexpansion-tank through which the products of combustion may pass afterleaving the boiler, a liquid and a vapor passage from said expansiomtank, pumps operated by steam from the boiler by which the ammonia ispropelled in its circuits, and a feed-Water heater in which the ammoniaacts to heat the Water for the boiler, substantially as described.

2. In an ice-making plant, the combination of a boiler-furnace,steam-boiler, and ammonia-expander, the heat-flue from the boilerpassing directly to the expander, an ammonia-circulation pump driven bysteam from the boiler, and freezing apparatus substantially asdescribed, whereby the ammonia heating is effected by direct dry heatfrom the furnace, but its propulsion is caused by steam from the boiler.

3. In an ice-making plant, a steam-boiler, pumps connected to and drivenby steam from the boiler, a condenser to which all the steam-exhaustslead, and a passage whereby the condensed water is' conveyed to thefreezing-tank, an ammonia-circulating pipe controlled by one of thepumps leading through the freezing tank, an ammonia expander heated bydry heat from the boiler heatingflue, and connections from thefreezing-tank whereby the ammonia is returned to said expander, allcombined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ABRAM ELLIS.

Witnesses:

J. J. NELLIGAN, D. L. GITT.

ICC

